UC Riverside’s Marina Ewodo walks off the court after their 66-58 loss to Hawaii in a Big West Tournament semifinal on Friday afternoon at Honda Center. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tianna Eaton #3 of the UC Riverside Highlanders winds her way past Tia Kanoa #11, left, and Leah Salanoa #12, both of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine, to score in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tianna Eaton #3 of the UC Riverside Highlanders scores past Courtney Middap #2 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Keilanei Cooper #10 of the UC Riverside Highlanders shoots past Leah Salanoa #12 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Daphne Gnago #24 of the UC Riverside Highlanders scores past Lauren Rewers #14 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Malou Thiebaut De Kergret #20 of the UC Riverside Highlanders is fouled by Jadynn Alexander #15 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine as Myrrah Joseph #5 helps defend, at left, in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Daphne Gnago #24 of the UC Riverside Highlanders shoots over Lauren Rewers #14, left, and Amy Atwell #25, both of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

UC Riverside’s Marina Ewodo walks off the court after their 66-58 loss to Hawaii in a Big West Tournament semifinal on Friday afternoon at Honda Center. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Malou Thiebaut De Kergret #20 of the UC Riverside Highlanders tries to battle through Lahni Salanoa #21 and Leah Salanoa #12, both of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Daphne Gnago #24 of the UC Riverside Highlanders grabs a rebound in front of Lauren Rewers #14 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Malou Thiebaut De Kergret #20 of the UC Riverside Highlanders is fouled by Leah Salanoa #12 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine as Lauren Rewers #14 helps defend in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Marina Ewodo #2 of the UC Riverside Highlanders battles for a rebound with Amy Atwell #25 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Myrrah Joseph #5 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine battles for a rebound with Daphne Gnago #24 of the UC Riverside Highlanders in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Malou Thiebaut De Kergret #20 of the UC Riverside Highlanders drives past Leah Salanoa #12 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Keilanei Cooper #10 of the UC Riverside Highlanders shoots over Myrrah Joseph #5 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Malou Thiebaut De Kergret #20 of the UC Riverside Highlanders scores after being fouled by Leah Salanoa #12 of the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

UC Riverside head coach John Margaritis on the sidelines during their game against Hawai’i in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Hawai’i head coach Laura Beeman on the sidelines during their game against UC Riverside in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

UC Riverside head coach John Margaritis on the sidelines during their game against Hawai’i in the semifinals of the Big West Women’s Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim on Friday, March 15, 2019. Hawai’i defeated UC Riverside 66-58. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

ANAHEIM — UC Riverside spent Friday afternoon nibbling on the sneakers of Hawaii, close enough to taste the leather but never getting a grip.

The third-seeded Highlanders led the Big West Tournament semifinal at Honda Center just once, by a point just 22 seconds into the game. Four times in the second half, they closed within two of the second-seeded Wahines only to have Hawaii pull a little farther away, to the point where the Highlanders ran out of time.

The final was 66-58, and the game was generally much closer than that eight-point margin. The Highlanders, looking to advance to Saturday’s Big West Tournament title game, fell a game shy and finish the season 17-15.

Hawaii (15-15) and top-seeded UC Davis (24-6) will meet for the tournament title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Women’s Tournament on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Malo De Kergret led the Highlanders with 20 points and had two of the Highlanders’ three 3-pointers on an afternoon when they struggled (3 for 16) from beyond the arc. Marina Ewodo added 11 points, Tianna Eaton 10 and Daphne Gnago had nine points and 10 rebounds.

Hawaii got 19 points and nine assists from Tia Kanoa, 11 points from Leah Salanoa on three 3-pointers and two free throws, and eight rebounds from Lauren Rewers.

“It was an interesting season,” UC Riverside coach John Margaritis said. “We started hoping to get Skyler Lewis back but that didn’t happen, and Tianna lost time and then we lost Jannon Otto late.

“Those aren’t excuses. We competed hard throughout the season. This was a feisty, aggressive team that was always competitive.”

The Highlanders opened the season 2-7 and rebounded from losing their first two conference games with a 10-4 finish.

Gnago scored early in the fourth quarter to cut the Hawaii lead to two, but UCR suffered turnovers on three consecutive possessions and Hawaii was able to draw out by seven at 55-48 after a Salanoa 3-pointer.

De Kergret hit a 3-pointer with 2:54 left to again bring Riverside within two, but a turnover and a pair of second-chance misses went awry. Hawaii’s Lahni Salanoa then hit an inside shot while clumsily falling backward, and sank the free throw to make it 60-55.

Margaritis called a timeout with 1:10 to go after De Kergret sank the first of two free throws to make it 60-56. She missed the second, and Hawaii ran off more than 20 seconds of the shot clock before UCR committed a foul.

“I didn’t want to call a foul,” Margaritis said. “It was a two-possession game and I wanted (Hawaii) to run out the shock clock. That gives us the ball and enough time to score and make a play to get the ball back, steal the ball or get a turnover or foul if we had to.

“You could go the other way and hope that they’ll miss the free throws, but there’s no one-and-one in the women’s game anymore. There’s less pressure on the shooter in that case.”

Hawaii eventually went to the free-throw line three times and went 6 for 6.

“This game was a lot like our season, up and down,” Hawaii coach Laura Beeman said.

Hawaii opened the season 1-7 and lost a key player late in the season when Makenna Woodfolk left the team for family reasons (pregnancy).